Ducting system for suction dredgers having pivotally connected tube lengths

ABSTRACT

An earth dredger comprising a duct system for sucking up earth from a soil below water, the duct system comprising a plurality of rigid lengths of tube pivotally connected with each other by means of universal joints formed by hinge parts and coupling members and communicating with each other through flexible, elastic bellows is improved in that the coupling members of the universal joints are arranged between two adjacent bellows, so that the universal joint has smaller dimensions and the earth dredger is less expensive.

United States Patent [191 de Koning et al.

DUCTING SYSTEM FOR SUCTION DREDGERS HAVING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TUBE LENGTHS Inventors: Jan de Koning, Amsterdam; Romke van der Veen, Jutphaas; Tjako Aaldrik Wolters, Vianen, all of Netherlands Assignee: Ballast-Nedam Groep N.V.,

Amsterdam, Netherlands Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 Appl. No.: 327,408

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 28, 1972 Ngthllgllg .nn7zollfl s US. Cl 37/58, 37/72, 137/615,

285/114, 285/227 Int. Cl E02f 3/90' Field of Search 37/72, 58; 137/615;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Russell et al 285/227 X [451 Aug. 13, 1974 2,240,392 4/1941 Dowell 285/273 X 3,434,491 3/1969 Bily 137/615 X 3,681,862 8/1972 De Koning et a1 37/58 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Clifford D. Crowder Attorney, Agent, or FirmSnyder, Brown and Ramick ABSTRACT An earth dredger comprising a duct system for sucking up earth from a soil below water, the duct system comprising a plurality of rigid lengths of tube pivotally connected with each other by means of universal joints formed by hinge parts and coupling members and communicating with each other through flexible, elastic bellows is improved in that the coupling members of the universal joints are arranged between two adjacent bellows, so that the universal joint has smaller dimensions and the earth'dredger is less expensive.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures LPAIENIEU mm 31224 SHEET 2 BF 3 III III III! PArsmmwww 3,828,451

FIG.

SHEET 3 0F 3 The invention relates to an earth dredger comprising a duct system for sucking up earth form a soil below water, said duct system comprising a plurality of rigid lengths of tubes pivotally interconnected by universal joints formed by hinge parts and coupling members and communicating with each other through flexible, elastic bellows, two of said bellows being arranged side by side at the area of at least one universal joint. v I

Such an earth dredger is known. With this known earth dredger the coupling members comprise. a cardanic ring surrounding the elastic bellows, whilst the hinge parts are arranged outside the bellows. This hinge is bulky and hence heavy and expensive.

The invention has for its object to reduce the bulk and hence the weight and cost price of the hinge. In this respect the earth dredger embodying the invention is characterized in that the hinge parts and the coupling members of the universal joint are arranged between the two adjacent bellows. I j

The above mentioned and further features of the invention will be set out in the following specification.

In the drawing:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a side elevation and a front elevation respectively of an earth dredger comprising a duct system embodying the invention,

FIG. 3 on an enlarged scale a detail III of FIG. 2, partly broken away and FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 an elevation of a detail corresponding to FIG. 3. i v j The earth dredger l of FIGS. 1 and'2 comprises a vessel 5 and a duct system 2 suspended thereto for sucking up earth from a soil 4 below the water 3. This duct system 2 comprises three rigid lengths of tube 6, pivotally suspended to each other by hinges 12 with the pivotal axis 7 and to the vessel 5 by means of a hinge 13 with the pivotal axis 18. The duct system has a nozzle 11 to be insertedinto the soil 4, through which a suspension of earth and water is sucked into the duct system 2. The tubings 6 communicate with each other at the areas of the hinges 12 through branch tubings l4 and bellows 15 arranged between the former. Each hinge 12 comprises fork-shaped hinge parts 16 rigidly secured to the tubings 6 and acting by means of journal bushes 17 in pivotal manner on pins 18 and 20 of a cross piece forming the coupling members 19 crossing each other at right angles. The pins 18 are coaxial to the pivotal axis 7. The bellows 15 are elastic and highly flexible and extensible and compressible in the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1, but to a considerably lesser extent, in the plane of the drawing of FIG. 2. This is usually the case with various, commercially available bellows 15 of fibreor mat-armoured rubber of synthetic 5 so as to be pivotable about the axis 8. The topmost tubing 6 communicates through bellows 28 with a pump 9 accommodated in the vessel 5, said pump pumping on the suspension through a pressure duct 39.

The frame 27 and the rigid tubings 6 are furthermore suspended to the vessel 5 by means of cables 29 of hoisting devices 30 arranged on the vessel 5.

The universal joint of FIG. 4, which is a variant of the detail III of FIG. 2, is formed by a ball-and-socket joint. One hinge part 16a has a ball 20 fitting in a cavity 21 of the other hinge part 16b. This ball-and-socket joint parts 16c and 16d respectively. The universal joint of FIG. 5 requires less space between the bellows 15 than the universal joint of FIG. 3 and can be constructed more readily than the ball-and-socket joint 12 of FIG. 4. v

The further developed universal joint 12 of FIG. 6

I corresponds with the universal joint 12 of FIG. 5 with the exception that the hinge part 16f is arranged by means of sliding bearings 26 so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis 25 of the duct system 2 with respect to the tubings 6. Owing to these sliding bearings 26 the duct system allows for a slight amount of torsion.

We claim:

1. An earth dredger comprising a duct system for sucking up earth from a soil below water, said duct system comprising a plurality of rigid lengths of tube pivotally connected with each other by means of universal joints formed by hinge'parts and coupling members, at least a pair of said lengths of tube having branched end portions facing each other with the corresponding legs of such branched end portions communicating with each other through flexible, elastic bellows and being arranged side by side at the area of that universal joint pivotally connecting such pair, the hinge parts and the coupling members of the universal joint pivotally connecting said pair of lengths of tube being arranged between the two adjacent bellows communicating said branched end portions.

2. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge parts and the coupling members have two pivotal axes intersecting each other at right angles.

3. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hinge parts and the coupling members have two pivotal axes crossing each other at right angles.

4. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the hinge parts is journalled so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the duct system with respect to at least one rigid tubing.

5. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 4 wherein the universal joint is a ball-and-socket joint.

6. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the V 

1. An earth dredger comprising a duct system for sucking up earth from a soil below water, said duct system comprising a plurality of rigid lengths of tube pivotally connected with each other by means of universal joints formed by hinge parts and coupling members, at least a pair of said lengths of tube having branched end portions facing each other with the corresponding legs of such branched end portions communicating with each other through flexible, elastic bellows and being arranged side by side at the area of that universal joint pivotally connecting such pair, the hinge parts and the coupling members of the universal joint pivotally connecting said pair of lengths of tube being arranged between the two adjacent bellows communicating said branched end portions.
 2. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge parts and the coupling members have two pivotal axes intersecting each other at right angles.
 3. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hinge parts and the coupling members have two pivotal axes crossing each other at right angles.
 4. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the hinge parts is journalled so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the duct system with respect to at least one rigid tubing.
 5. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 4 wherein the universal joint is a ball-and-socket joint.
 6. An earth dredger as claimed in claim 1 wherein the universal joint is a ball-and-socket joint. 